This invention relates to telecommunications system and services, and more particularly to systems and methods for establishing conference calls among several participants.
A xe2x80x9cconference callxe2x80x9d is a known feature provided by a telecommunications system in which a telephone connection is established for simultaneous communications among more than two parties. A significant benefit provided by a conference call is allowing the parties to meet without traveling to the same location. Thus, conference calls are frequently used for project or team meetings, and in other applications in which people at disparate locations wish to meet by telephone. Conference calls are typically set up in one of two known arrangements: Host Originated conferencing, and xe2x80x9cMeet Mexe2x80x9d conferencing.
With Host Originated conferencing, the host, at the prescribed time for the conference call, activates a conference feature on their local end-office switch or PBX and dials each of the participants. In order for the conference to be successful in joining all intended participants, each participant must be at their designated location at the time of the call, and each participant must answer the call. A problem with Host Originated conferencing is that often the participants are busy on another call, or are away from their desks at the start of the call, and therefore one or more intended participants cannot be joined to the call.
With Meet Me conferencing, a dial-in telephone number is assigned to a conference bridge and published in advance to intended participants. An advantage of Meet Me conferencing is that it allows each participant to dial into the bridge from any location. Furthermore, if a participant is late, they can still dial into the bridge and be added to the call.
Currently-available systems providing Meet Me conference call capabilities employ user-originated processes which are cumbersome, time consuming and error prone. For example, to reserve conference call facilities, the Meet Me conference call host contacts a conference bridge reservation agent and reserves a conference bridge at a predefined time. If facilities are available, the reservation agent informs the host of the telephone number for the conference bridge and the access code assigned to the call. Even for conference calls scheduled repetitively (e.g., weekly or monthly calls at similar times), the conference bridge telephone number may change, and the access code typically changes. The conference call host must then contact each participant in advance and relay the telephone number for the bridge and the access code.
In order to participate in the Meet Me conference call, each participant must dial the telephone number for the conference bridge. The conference bridge equipment then prompts the participant to enter the access code. If the access code is valid the participant is added to the conference call. In large organizations, this scenario is played out hundreds of times per week, and often there are problems which prevent an intended participant from gaining timely access to the conference call. Examples of such problems include:
(1) The participant misplaces or does not receive the conference bridge and access code information;
(2) The participant receives incorrect information (in some cases, erroneous information is transmitted to all participants by the host); and
(3) The participant dials the wrong conference bridge or enters the wrong access code and joins a conference call other than the intended one.
Thus, there is need for an improved conference call system which simplifies and makes more reliable the processes of establishing a conference call by a conference call host and accessing a conference call by an intended participant.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a conference call system and methods for use in conjunction therewith which minimize the disadvantages of prior art conference call systems.
According to an aspect of the invention, a xe2x80x9cCall Mexe2x80x9d conference call service is implemented in conjunction with conference bridge, conference reservation, telecommunications switching, and control facilities. Persons wishing to participate in the conference place a call to the telephone number normally assigned to the telephone (or line) of the conference call host. When a call destined for the host""s line arrives at the telecommunications switching office serving the host, and a previously reserved conference call is active, the telecommunications switching office automatically redirects the call to the conference bridge facilities. The caller is informed by announcement that the host is on a conference call and then invited to join the conference.
A preferred embodiment of a xe2x80x9cCall Mexe2x80x9d conference call system constructed according to the present invention comprises a multiport conference unit (MCU) interconnected with the public switched telecommunications network (PSTN), a telecommunications switching system also interconnected with the PSTN, a service control point (SCP) or other intelligent network control component having at least a signaling connection to the switching system, a Call Me conference bridge reservation system interconnected with the SCP and the MCU, and suitable facilities interconnecting these components.
According to an aspect of the invention, methods are provided for use in conjunction with the switching system, the conference bridge reservation system, the SCP, and the MCU, to implement a Call Me conference call (CMCC) service.
In operation, the person who is to host the CMCC registers the call in advance with a Call Me conference bridge reservation system. The CMCC host identifies the host""s directory number, the starting time of the CMCC, the length or ending time of the CMCC, and the number of conference bridge ports to be reserved. Also, a subscription is required for each person who will host a CMCC conference. When a customer subscribes to the CMCC service, the service provider establishes a xe2x80x9cCalled Party Busyxe2x80x9d intelligent network trigger for the subscriber""s telephone line. The trigger enables telephone switching system serving the conference host""s line to seek additional call handling instructions when a call arrives while the host""s line is busy.
When a call to the CMCC host""s telephone number, such as a call from a person desiring to participate in a conference call, arrives at the telecommunications switching system serving the host""s line and the host""s line is busy, the switching system determines that the intelligent network trigger is active and launches a database query to the SCP to determine where to redirect the call. The SCP verifies that a conference call is active, and if so, returns to the switching system the telephone number of the MCU. The switching system then automatically redirects the call to the MCU. The MCU greets the caller with an announcement indicating that the called party is currently hosting a conference call and inviting the caller to join the conference or elect other call treatment options, such as redirecting the call to an attendant or a voice mail system.
If the caller elects to join the conference, the MCU alerts the host that a caller has requested to join the conference and awaits the host""s approval. The alert may include caller identification information such as the calling number or the caller""s name. The alert message to the host may be delivered in several ways. For example, the alert message may be delivered as a barge in announcement that only the host hears, through a message displayed on a conventional caller-ID display unit, through a message displayed on an ISDN telephone, or through a message shown on a pop up window on an H.323 voice-over-IP terminal. The host may then instruct the conference bridge to add the call to the bridge or to apply other treatment to the call, such as redirecting the call to an attendant or a voice mail system. The host may signal the conference bridge by, inter alia, entering touch-tone digits, depressing an ISDN feature button, or sending a TCP/IP message.
A Call Me conference bridge system constructed according to the present invention advantageously eliminates the need to send participants either the telephone number of the conference bridge or a conference bridge access code. Instead, the host of the conference need only instruct all other participants to call the host""s own telephone number at a prescribed time. Also advantageously, the conference call host is notified as each participant joins the conference call. Consequently, the host knows if all the participants have joined the call. This is an improvement over known xe2x80x9cMeet Mexe2x80x9d style conference call services, wherein the participants must identify themselves as they join the bridge, or the host must challenge each participant to disclose their identify. If a participant joins a xe2x80x9cMeet Mexe2x80x9d style conference call late, this identification process interrupts the business of the conference call. Advantageously, in an embodiment constructed according to the present invention, late-arriving participants may be joined silently, or may be introduced at a natural break in the business of the call.